


Swimming Upstream

by kinoface



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, community: je_otherworlds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-08 14:12:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/444030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinoface/pseuds/kinoface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not even two airheads can mess up destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming Upstream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfiepike](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfiepike/gifts).



> Thank you, Mars and Phrenk, for volunteering to beta basically at the last minute and for doing an excellent job of it as usual. And thank you, elfiepike, for having interests that are relevant to mine, to the point that exchange mods just can't keep us apart. :D
> 
> Originally posted [here](http://je-otherworlds.livejournal.com/31121.html) for Otherworlds.

Aiba Masaki's superpower is knowing when he's destined for something.

His friends tell him he's being ridiculous, that that's not a _real_ superpower, but he knows he's right.

When he was a child and felt it was his destiny to sneak out of bed for a midnight snack and, in doing so, caught the first sparks of an electrical fire that could have destroyed everything his family owned, that wasn't a coincidence! And in high school, when he felt he was destined to perform one of his famous experiments in the chemistry lab, and the ensuing explosion revealed a structural flaw that prompted the school to build a brand new lab, how could that _not_ have been fate? And last month, when destiny prompted him to steal one of the expired bento lunches Nino always buys at half price because he swears they haven't actually gone bad yet -- well, saving Nino's ultra-weak stomach from what turned out to be food poisoning couldn't have been anything less than meant to be.

So Aiba _knows_ it's the truth, even when the others laugh and roll their eyes.

And right now he knows, because he can feel it more strongly than he's ever felt anything before, with every atom in his body, right down to the depths of his very soul, that his destiny is to have sex with Ohno Satoshi.

*

When Ohno comes into the pet shop on Monday, Aiba discreetly points him out to Jun, who manages to tear his eyes away from Sho long enough to see what Aiba's been making such a big deal about. He looks just in time to see Ohno standing in the doorway as if he has no idea where he is or what he's doing, right before he turns down the tropical fish aisle just like he does every other day he comes in.

"He's cute," Jun says, eyes a little wider than before.

Aiba shoves him and yells "DIBS!" loud enough that several customers look over at them. Jun looks about ready to claw Aiba's eyes out for manhandling him, so Aiba holds his hands up in apology and explains, "I'm sorry, Matsujun, but I won't let you ruin my chances with him! He's my _destiny_."

Jun's eye-rolls are always epic. "Whatever you say, Masaki." He goes back to examining his nails and pretending not to send loving glances at Sho, who's too busy taking notes from his econ textbook to notice the attention anyway. But when Ohno meanders over to the counter a few minutes later, Jun is up again, thrusting himself in Ohno's direction before Aiba can get there. "Can I help you?" he asks, perfectly professional and sugary sweet.

"MATSUJUN," Aiba says, perhaps a bit more loudly than he intended. "GO MAKE SURE THE BIRDS HAVE WATER."

Jun glares so hard Aiba thinks he might develop a headache. "You know I hate doing that. The birds always peck at me."

From his spot at the other end of the counter, Sho -- whose superpower is focusing on one million tasks at once, which includes visiting his boyfriend at work and listening to him bitch at his coworkers, without dying of stress -- calmly shuts his textbook and says, "Why do you even work at a pet shop if all the animals hate you?"

Jun looks affronted but covers it up by swatting Sho over the head. Then he takes Sho's hands, looking suddenly shy. "Come on, Sho-kun," he mutters, "help me water the birds."

As soon as they're gone, Aiba drapes himself rakishly over the counter and tries to look as enticingly handsome as possible. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ohno-san," he says, going for sultry.

Ohno just looks concerned. "Are you all right?"

Aiba clears his throat and straightens up. Okay, so he needs to work on his powers of seduction. "Sorry about that, Ohno-san," he says again, normal this time, as he smooths down the front of his smock. "Did you have a question?"

Ohno is already turned away, pointing back towards the area where they keep the feeding animals. "I need some crickets for Kagi..."

Aiba perks up. "Your lizard, right? I can help!"

They walk together to fetch the crickets, and Aiba spends the entire time working up the courage to make a move. It isn't until they get back to the register and Aiba is handing Ohno his receipt that he finally blurts out, "Ohno-san, will you go on a date with me?"

Ohno just looks at him, seemingly unaffected, for a long, horrifying moment. Then he says, "Sure."

It takes an incredible amount of effort for Aiba not to jump in place. "Great! What about tomorrow, does tomorrow work?"

Finally, an amused smile tugs at the corners of Ohno's mouth. Aiba knows Ohno must be laughing at him on the inside, but then Ohno says, "Tomorrow is good," and Aiba can't even begin to care about reining himself in.

"Awesome! Why don't we meet here around six? I know this super tasty ramen place nearby!"

At that, Ohno's eyes light up. "I love ramen," he says, deeply serious, as if Aiba has uncovered some magical secret, and Aiba feels his insides flutter with adoration. Sometimes destiny is a wonderful thing.

*

Aiba gets there half an hour early -- he can't be late for destiny! -- and spends the next forty-five minutes fretting over what might happen if he doesn't fulfill his obligation as a superhero. When he finally spots Ohno turning the corner, all of his worries fly away in such a rush that he actually has to catch his breath.

They greet each other politely and make friendly conversation as they walk to the restaurant. Aiba learns that Ohno is a painter and spent the day working on a series of fish portraits.

"Fish portraits?" Aiba echoes, curious and delighted.

Ohno shrugs. "I like fish."

Aiba gives an exaggerated nod and brings a hand up to his chin in a pose of contemplation. "All right, so there's painting, fish... what else do you spend time on?"

Ohno's smile is something quiet, secret. "Y'know. Stuff."

At the restaurant, they find a cozy booth and sit across from each other. Aiba orders a round of beers on impulse, and their food arrives soon after.

Ohno's not particularly chatty -- the walk over seems to have exhausted his repertoire of small talk -- but he doesn't seem shy, just quiet, which Aiba finds endlessly charming. Besides, Aiba doesn't mind filling in the blank spots by talking about his job, about his chemistry experiments, about his dream of one day hosting his own zoo show. He ends up talking all through dinner, but Ohno doesn't seem to mind. He seems pretty invested in his meal, actually, which Aiba takes as a sign that he chose the right place.

He watches Ohno work through his food with such intense concentration, like he's performing some extremely delicate medical procedure, or trying to disarm a bomb that could take out all of Tokyo, and he thinks to himself that of all the people he could have been destined to sleep with, he's glad it's Ohno.

When they've emptied their bowls and knocked back enough alcohol that their cheeks are pink and their bodies warm, Aiba gets up to pay the bill and suggests they go for a walk. Ohno looks full and sleepy, but he happily follows Aiba to the small park a few blocks west, where Aiba goes on his breaks sometimes to watch the birds and the squirrels. There's a pond in the middle of the park, and Aiba takes Ohno there to show him the huge, golden koi fish that swim in it.

There's a bench in front of the pond, and Aiba tugs Ohno down onto it and watches him watch the fish. He's staring intently down into the water, as if the fish are whispering up to him. If Aiba were the type of person to feel jealous, now would be the time.

"Hey, Oh-chan," he says, nudging Ohno's shoulder until Ohno looks up at him, eyes wide as if Aiba had startled him. His cheeks are still rosy, and Aiba can smell the beer on his breath. He says, "I'm really enjoying our night together."

Ohno is staring just as intently as before, but now he's honed in on Aiba's mouth.

"I mean, really, _really_ enjoying it," Aiba clarifies, and he licks his lips just to watch Ohno's eyes track the movement.

They lean in closer, and Aiba allows his eyes to drift shut. They're so close that he can almost feel Ohno's lips on his --

But when he leans in for the kill, Ohno has pulled away, and instead Aiba gets a mouthful of shoulder. He jerks back and finds Ohno looking off into the distance, concern written along the low set of his eyebrows. He turns back to Aiba and seems sincerely distraught when he says, "I'm sorry, Aiba-chan."

Aiba is quick to laugh it off. "No, no, it's fine --"

But Ohno is standing, still talking as he pulls away. "I like you a lot, but I can't do this right now. I have to go."

Confusion and hurt fall over Aiba all at once. He reaches for Ohno's hand, but Ohno is already moving away. "Wait -- I don't --"

"I'm sorry," Ohno says again. "I'll see you around, okay?"

He leaves without looking back.

*

When Aiba gets home, Nino is playing video games as usual. Aiba decides to face whatever wrath he might incur and throws himself across Nino's lap, kicking his legs and whining as Nino splutters and tries to work his arms out from underneath Aiba's wriggling body.

"What's wrong with you?" Nino snaps once he's finally righted himself and saved Solid Snake from an untimely death. He's still playing, holding the controller up over Aiba's head.

"Ninooo," Aiba moans, kicking harder. "Ninoooooo~"

Nino digs his elbows in between Aiba's shoulder blades until Aiba yelps and squirms away to the other side of the couch. "Nino," he laments, "my date with Oh-chan ended in catastrophe!"

"He probably caught on to what a loser you are."

Aiba wails mournfully and sprawls out until his feet are in Nino's lap. Nino gives a _tsk_ of disapproval but accommodates him, rearranging his arms over Aiba's legs until they're both comfortable.

"I don't get it," Aiba sighs. "He seemed like he was having fun up until we got to the park..."

"You took him to a park?" Nino asks, still focused on the TV. "So late? Seems kind of dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"People get mugged in parks late at night, Masaki. Especially airheads like you and Ohno."

"You can't call him an airhead! You don't even know him!" Aiba cries, pointing an accusing finger at Nino.

Nino shrugs, the picture of innocence. "I just assumed anyone who would voluntarily date you must be an airhead."

Aiba crosses his arms and pouts extra hard.

Nino's superpower is reading people's emotions; right now he must sense that Aiba is about two seconds away from frustrated tears, because he actually deigns to press pause and look at Aiba directly. "You said he was having fun, right?" he asks.

Aiba nods, still pouting.

"So then he probably just remembered he left the stove on or something. Unless he said, 'Aiba Masaki, I never want to see you again,' then he probably wants to see you again. Just give it some time, okay?" When Aiba doesn't budge, Nino pokes his calf and says, "Besides, if it's destiny like you said, it'll work itself out. Not even a couple of airheads can mess up destiny."

Aiba isn't entirely convinced, but then again, Nino is usually right about these kinds of things.

He watches Nino play for a while longer, and then he showers and gets ready for sleep. He can't help but continue to think about how terrible everything will be if he fails in his mission, if he can't make everything come together -- but when he feels himself starting to get overwhelmed, he repeats what Nino said. _Not even a couple of airheads can mess up destiny._

Just as he's getting into bed, his phone lights up. He grabs it from the nightstand, at first hoping it's Ohno, then delighted to find that he was right. He opens the message, suddenly so excited that he can barely sit still.

It's a snapshot of a fish. A painted koi fish.

Warmth spreads through Aiba's body and settles comfortably in his chest. He sends back a smiley face with half a dozen exclamation marks trailing behind it before worming his way back under the covers. He falls asleep feeling happy and reassured.

*

Ohno arrives to their second date looking sheepish. "Sorry about the other night," he offers, and with the way he's pouting, eyes downcast and bottom lip jutting out at a frankly adorable angle, Aiba believes he's sincere.

"Don't worry about it, Oh-chan," he says, waving it off. "I just hope everything's all right!"

Ohno was staring down at his feet, but now he looks up at Aiba. He smiles -- that same quiet smile from before -- and says, "Yeah. Yeah, everything's good."

When they spoke on the phone earlier, Aiba told Ohno he could pick the setting this time, so they end up walking around a modern art exhibit full of colorful paintings and twisted sculptures. Aiba doesn't understand half of what he looks at, and Ohno doesn't really offer any explanations, but the colors and patterns are all pretty, and Ohno seems to be having fun. Ohno walks around the building at his own languid pace, taking time to study each piece that catches his eye, until Aiba's sure he could recreate it from memory just by how long he's been staring.

Aiba enjoys watching Ohno enjoy himself, but when they leave the exhibit almost two hours later, he's also grown a little impatient. He's nervous, mostly, and worried that he won't be able to seal the deal or that Ohno will have some mysterious reason to leave again.

He steers them towards a coffee shop -- he wants both of them to be alert, energized -- and offers to pay since Ohno covered the price of admission into the exhibit. They get their drinks and settle onto a couch in the corner, tucked away from view of the other patrons. Ohno curls around his drink, wholly absorbed in it the way he is with everything, from fish to ramen to art. Aiba catches himself staring for a full minute before he shakes himself out of it. He sips his coffee, and bumps Ohno's feet with his, and scoots a little closer on the couch.

"I really liked that art show," he says after a moment of hopeful staring. Ohno looks over at him, almost expressionless but for the barest hint of a smile, so he forges on. "There were some really nice pieces in there. The one with all those fish was super pretty, don't you think?"

Ohno loosens one of his hands from around his cup, letting it drop to rest against Aiba's thigh in a way that can't be accidental. "Super pretty," he repeats.

Aiba starts to say something -- "Maybe we can go see some of _your_ \--" -- but then Ohno starts to lean in, eyes already fluttered closed. Aiba has one agonizing second of worrying that Ohno might take off again, and then Ohno's mouth is on his, and nothing else in the world matters. His eyes drift closed, and without even thinking about it, he brings his hand up to feel Ohno's cheek; Ohno leans into the touch, making a soft, happy noise against Aiba's mouth, before deepening the kiss. Aiba feels Ohno's hand clutching at his jacket to pull him closer, and then he feels Ohno's tongue -- gentle, just like his smiles, as if he's asking for permission. Aiba grants it without question.

Ohno's mouth is slick and warm, his body is firm against Aiba's, and Aiba feels like he could drown in the sensation. It's like everywhere their bodies meet, they're setting off sparks that he can feel buzzing up and down through his veins, coming to settle low in his belly.

He pulls back to nip at the corner of Ohno's jaw just as the barista announces that the cafe will be closing soon.

Aiba whispers against Ohno's skin, "Should we head back to my place?"

Ohno sighs, "Please."

Aiba is so excited he can barely think, but he somehow manages to pull away from Ohno and navigate them out the door and to the nearest train station. Ohno follows obediently, his hand grasped tightly in Aiba's as they wind through the evening crowd. Aiba is smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, and he feels like nothing could ruin this now.

But when they get to the station, it only takes a few seconds of rummaging through his bag to realize that something is wrong. "Oh-chan," he says, feeling those first tendrils of dread start to coil in his stomach. "Oh-chan, I left my wallet at the cafe."

Ohno stares at him, not quite understanding. "I can pay for you?"

Aiba is so desperate that he almost accepts, but common sense wins out. "But Oh-chan, my _wallet_."

Ohno looks torn, but he finally agrees after a moment of internal deliberation. They race back to the cafe and skid to a stop in front of it just as the barista is turning the sign in the window from _OPEN_ to _CLOSED_.

"Wait!" Aiba yells, knocking urgently.

The barista glares at him through the glass and points jerkily at the sign.

"Please! I forgot my wallet!" He mentally adds, _And I need it so I can go home and have destiny-fulfilling sex!_

The barista begrudgingly unlocks the door for him and lets him search as Ohno waits outside. Aiba looks as quickly as he can and finds his wallet tucked between the cushions of the couch they were sitting on; he thanks the barista and bows deeply, and as soon as he's back outside, he rushes to take Ohno's hand and tug him back in the direction of the station. 

"All right," he says, breathless from running around but so happy to be back on the way to destiny. "Let's go!"

But Ohno won't budge. He's staring off with an odd look on his face, like he's trying to hear something but can't quite get it.

Panic grips Aiba's heart, so he wraps his fingers around Ohno's wrist to grip him just as tightly. "Is everything okay?" Ohno turns to look at him, regret written clearly across his features, and at the sight of it, Aiba's heart sinks. "You have to go."

Ohno just nods, silent.

Aiba drops his hand, feeling like he's spiraling into a pit of disappointment. Everything had been going so _well_.

"I'm really sorry," Ohno says. "We'll have another date some other time, okay?"

"Okay," Aiba answers. It's taking all of his willpower not to cry.

He reaches out again, wanting to set a date, to say goodbye, steal another kiss -- anything -- but Ohno is already gone, running down the street faster than he's moved all night.

*

Jun's superpower is being able to pick up on and analyze even the smallest details, so Aiba decides he would be a good person to talk to. Jun tells him to relay every detail of what happened, and when he's not doing his best to distract Sho from his homework, he offers bits of advice. The most important thing, he says, is that it sounds like Ohno was into Aiba too, so he might have some kind of secret that's keeping him from getting too involved.

"Like what?" Aiba asks, wide-eyed.

"Like a bad break-up," Jun says, waving off Aiba's curiosities. "Maybe he just doesn't want to rush into anything new."

"I guess," Aiba mutters, deflating. That's far less interesting than he was hoping.

"Or maybe he's afraid of something else," Jun continues. "The first time it happened, you guys were in a park late at night, right? And then yesterday it was just starting to get dark? Maybe he's afraid of getting attacked or something."

"You think so?"

"It's possible -- dangerous things happen all the time. Did you hear about that combini that almost got robbed last night? They say the cashier was being held at knife point, but then someone showed up and saved him."

Aiba perks up, intrigued. "Saved him?"

"I don't know," Sho cuts in. He closes his textbook, using his pencil as a bookmark. "Cutting a good date short because you're afraid of some random mugging? Sounds kind of far-fetched."

Jun makes a noise of agreement, then goes silent. The three of them sit in deliberation for a long moment before Sho opens up his book and goes back to reading, but when he picks up his pencil, he stares off in contemplation instead of writing.

"What is it?" Jun asks.

Sho considers for another moment, then shrugs. "Maybe all that running around just killed his boner."

Jun swats him over the head especially hard.

*

Aiba tries to set another date with Ohno -- _Third time's the charm,_ he keeps telling himself -- but it seems like Ohno is always busy with some project or errand. He doesn't even come into the shop anymore to stare at the fish and buy crickets for Kagi.

Aiba complains about it to Nino, who does his valiant best to stay patient and help Aiba through it. But not even Nino has infinite patience; it takes two weeks of Aiba plodding about, growing more and more woeful, before Nino finally heaves a sigh and grouses, "Maybe you just have to face the reality that things like superpowers and destiny aren't real."

The words hit Aiba like a jab to the gut. He was on his way from the couch to the kitchen for a snack run, but the words halt him in his tracks, weighing down on him heavily enough to pin him to the spot.

What if Nino's right?

What if Aiba's been wrong this whole time?

He's usually much more resistant to Nino's cynicism, but after two weeks of hardly seeing, speaking to, or even texting Ohno, he feels critically weak against the world at large. Right now, the fresh wound of Nino's words stings almost as badly as the predicament itself.

He forces himself into motion so that he can finish his trip to the kitchen, so that he can trudge back to the couch and drag himself through another few rounds of Mario Kart. Nino doesn't say anything else after that; maybe superpowers don't exist after all, if not even Nino's super empathy is working.

He retreats into his room at the end of the night and throws himself onto his bed, where he grabs his phone and punches in a message to Ohno: _Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?_ As soon as he hits send, he hurls his phone into the soft pile of laundry at the opposite corner of the room, unable to face the possibility that he might not get a response.

He definitely isn't expecting one so late, but it's barely a minute later when his phone pings from the laundry pile.

Aiba cautiously makes his way across the room and slowly flips the phone open. It's a mail from Ohno: a picture of a painter's palette, covered in dollops of blue and orange, with one word typed in below it.

_Yes._

*

Aiba tells Ohno to meet him at the koi pond after his shift, and he spends the entire morning lost in anxiety and doubt. How can he finally get Ohno to sleep with him? How can he ensure that whatever plan he comes up with will work? What if Ohno has to leave again, and Aiba never gets another chance? What if his real destiny is to fail at this one task?

And then he remembers what Nino said. Not the cruel thing he said last night, but before that. _Not even a couple of airheads can mess up destiny._

That's when he realizes: these past misses haven't been failures. They've been obstacles, the kind all heroes must face on their path to saving the world. Only those who give up succumb to failure, and Aiba Masaki has never given up on anything in his life. He certainly isn't going to start now -- not on something as important as destiny.

Not on someone as amazing as Oh-chan.

Jun and Sho push him out the door with shouts of determination and perseverance, and even Nino, in a gesture as close to an outright apology as he'll ever get, sends him a message of luck. With their confidence in him guiding him forward, Aiba leaves the shop and heads for the koi pond.

Ohno is late again, but Aiba's not worried anymore. He's _ready_. In his backpack he has condoms in all different sizes and varieties, even some sheepskin ones in case Ohno is allergic to latex; he's got lube in eleven different flavors and scents, four of which warm on contact; he's got his wallet tethered by a string to an industrial-strength safety pin that's been stuck through the bottom of the bag; he's got everything they could possibly need in an emergency situation, from a first aid kit to a pair of 3D glasses. Aiba has no idea why they might need half the items he's carrying, but he's not going to question it if that need arises.

When he finally sees Ohno appear at the edge of the park, he rushes up to meet him. He throws his arms around Ohno's shoulders, but Ohno doesn't return the hug. His arms hang stiffly at his sides, and he doesn't say a word.

Aiba pulls back, trying to look at his face. "Oh-chan?"

"Aiba-chan..." Ohno's voice is quiet, more so than usual, and he won't meet Aiba's eyes. "I -- I'm really sorry about... about what happened, and..." He can't seem to get the words out, like each syllable is one piece of a complicated puzzle he's trying to solve as he goes. "I didn't want -- but -- you see, there are just... things. And. I was worried you'd get hurt, and then -- with the -- and -- it's not that I don't want to tell you... I like you a lot... it's just. I can't -- I mean -- for now, I just want... I'm sorry." He pauses to exhale in one long, shaky breath. "I'm really, really sorry." He glances up to meet Aiba's gaze, then immediately looks back down at his feet. He asks, voice barely above a whisper, "Forgive me?"

"Let's have sex!" Aiba blurts.

Ohno looks up at him, shocked. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now," Aiba says, nodding vigorously. "It can't wait!"

For a moment, Ohno just stares at him; Aiba can easily picture the wheels turning in his brain. Then he says, "Love hotel?"

"No time!" Aiba cries. He turns to look around, trying to spot a place nearby that would be private enough for them to do it without getting arrested for public indecency. He's still searching frantically when Ohno grabs his shoulders and bodily turns him in the direction of an ice cream parlor whose window bears a sign that reads, _Restroom for customers only._

There's no one else in line when they barrel into the shop, so they stand at the counter and scan the menu excitedly. The cashier is saying something, but Aiba can barely comprehend the words. He can barely even comprehend the ones he's reading.

"What do you want, Oh-chan?"

Ohno drapes himself across Aiba's back and answers, "Dunno," right into his ear, and all Aiba can think about is how close he is to having Ohno's mouth do any number of other, more fun activities.

"What about chocolate?" he asks. He's practically bouncing in place. "Do you like chocolate?"

"Ah, with fudge~"

"HELLO," Aiba says to the cashier, "CAN I PLEASE GET A SCOOP OF CHOCOLATE WITH FUDGE?"

*

When they get into the bathroom, Ohno is working on the ice cream between little huffs of laughter, ignoring the spoon sticking out of the paper cup in favor of swirling his tongue around the sides of the scoop. Meanwhile, Aiba drops his bag in the corner and shrugs out of his jacket, draping it over the sink. The bathroom is small for one person and definitely cramped for two, so it's a bit tricky to grab Ohno by the waist and turn them around, but he manages, manages to shove Ohno up against the door and lean into him until they're touching all along their bodies. He mouths at the spot below Ohno's ear and lets his hands slip under Ohno's shirt, all while Ohno laps at the ice cream.

"How's your ice cream, Oh-chan?" he asks, punctuating his question with kisses up and down Ohno's throat.

Ohno breathes out, "Delicious," then moans when Aiba's teeth graze over his collarbone.

Aiba grabs the ice cream from Ohno's hand and pulls away only long enough to set it somewhat precariously atop the toilet paper dispenser. When he comes back to claim Ohno's mouth, Ohno opens up for him immediately; his mouth is shockingly cool from the ice cream, and he tastes like fudge. 

Aiba paws at Ohno's jacket until together they manage to pull it off of him, followed by his shirt, working somewhat awkwardly in the small space. Now, with Ohno naked from the waist up, Aiba can't help but take a moment to appreciate the view. He lifts his hands to pinch Ohno's nipples, both at once, and when it makes Ohno writhe against the door, he leans down to lick at one nipple, then the other, before coming back up to take Ohno's mouth again. Ohno has started rolling his hips in a slow, steady rhythm against Aiba's; the friction is good, it's excellent, but it's not what Aiba wants. He sneaks a hand down the front of Ohno's jeans and squeezes the bulge there, and it makes Ohno gasp right into his mouth, hands clutching at Aiba's shoulders.

"How should we do this?" Aiba asks, pulling back to see Ohno's face. He's still moving his palm up and down Ohno's dick through the denim, and Ohno looks completely incapable of responding, his mouth all pink and open, eyelashes fluttering over his flushed cheeks. Aiba squeezes just to see Ohno bite his lip, then stills his hand and asks again, "How do you want to do this, Oh-chan?"

It takes a moment, but finally Ohno's eyes drift open and focus on Aiba. "Aiba-chan," he breathes, thrusting shallowly into Aiba's loose grip. "Aiba-chan, fuck me."

Aiba feels like his brain is about to short-circuit, but he's always been quick at recovering. He turns them around again and bends Ohno over the sink, then reaches into the corner so he can grab his backpack and deposit it in front of Ohno. "There are condoms and lube in there," he says. "There's a lot, so pick your favorites!"

While Ohno rummages, Aiba busies himself with undoing Ohno's jeans and pushing them down his thighs along with his boxers. He's momentarily distracted by the sight of Ohno's ass, and unable to stop himself from grabbing a handful of it -- it's so _nice_ \-- but he snaps out of it when Ohno mumbles, "Do you always carry this much stuff around?"

"It's a long story," Aiba says, accepting the ribbed-for-their-pleasure condom and the apple-scented lube Ohno hands back to him. He tucks the condom into his pocket for now and opens the lube to pour a liberal amount onto his fingers. "I'm gonna touch you now, okay Oh-chan?"

Ohno hums his approval, but even with the warning, he jumps a little when Aiba reaches down and starts rubbing against his hole. Aiba simply rubs up and down for a few seconds, letting the lube spread, letting Ohno warm up to him, and then he slowly works a finger in. Ohno was curiously going through Aiba's backpack, but now he's gone still, gripping the edges of the bag and breathing noisily as Aiba works his finger in and out.

At first Aiba concentrates on making sure that Ohno is comfortable, reminding himself not to rush. He patiently works up to a second finger, and as he pumps the two in and out, he admires the hard, leanly muscled plane of Ohno's back, the firm swell of his ass, and at the same time he finds himself helplessly charmed by the stark tanlines on Ohno's thighs and biceps. These are parts of Ohno which Aiba never would have imagined on his own, and that's the thought that finally makes everything seem _real_. He's finally here, with Ohno. They're finally doing this. It's with a sense of giddiness that he adds a third finger, spurred further by the way it makes Ohno arch and gasp.

It's not Aiba's intent to tease -- he really, truly just wants to make sure -- but when he asks, "You're not gonna leave again, are you?", Ohno just whimpers and pushes back against him. Aiba remembers his reaction from before, his inability to process the sensation and the words all at once, so he holds still and asks again, "Are you?"

Ohno shudders, whines, and finally stutters out a no. He's holding on to Aiba's bag so tightly that his knuckles have gone white.

Aiba crooks his fingers and asks huskily, "Are you _sure_ , Oh-chan?"

Ohno moans long and low, bearing down on Aiba's fingers, and gasps out, "Aiba-chan, please -- just fuck me, _please_ \--"

Aiba feels his desire flare, white-hot and unavoidable, and says, "Don't worry, Oh-chan, I will." Now that they're finally here, no force on earth could stop him.

*

When they leave the ice cream parlor, satisfied and giggling to each other, Aiba feels like he's won every prize there is. They stand under the shade of the parlor's awning and share sticky-sweet kisses as Ohno finishes the last melted spoonfuls of ice cream.

Something off in the distance catches Aiba's eye; a young woman is about to cross the street, and the afternoon sun is catching on the sequins of her purse, laid out to form a vibrant orange koi fish swimming against a shimmery blue backdrop.

What he notices next is the truck speeding towards her.

He wants to yell out to her, wants to run and push her out of the truck's path, wants to do _anything_ , but she's blocks away and he'd never make it on time. Terror wells up in his chest as he watches, helpless.

Something flies past him with a _whoosh_ , so fast and powerful that it nearly bowls him over. A blurry figure zooms down the street, making it just in time to scoop the woman up and carry her to the other side of the road, missing the honking truck by a hair.

Aiba watches, amazed, as the figure sets the woman down on the sidewalk. He hears the commotion as people converge on her, all of them as shocked as Aiba is, but he can't really process it. All he can focus on is the blurred figure, slowed down now so that it resembles a person -- a person who looks like...

"Oh-chan?"

The world seems to be moving in slow motion. The scene replays itself in Aiba's mind: just a moment ago, Ohno was standing next to him; then, in the blink of an eye, Ohno was blocks away.

When Aiba looks to where Ohno was standing, he sees the ice cream, splattered and forgotten on the concrete.

He stands there dumbfounded and watches as Ohno casually walks back towards him, looking apprehensive. Aiba's slack-jawed expression can't be helping, but he can't begin to change it, feeling like he has little to no control over his fine motor skills. It's almost too much just to be standing there.

Ohno stops in front of him and stands there silently, waiting.

"Oh-chan," Aiba murmurs. "Did you just... was that..."

Ohno watches him for a reaction, then looks away -- down at his feet, up at the sky, anywhere but Aiba's face.

"You have... super speed?"

Ohno meets his eyes but doesn't say anything.

"And super senses? That's why you're always listening out for things?"

Ohno nods, solemn.

"And those times you had to leave, it was because you sensed someone was in danger and sped off to save them?"

Ohno makes a low, wordless sound of agreement.

"And if I hadn't been so determined to sleep with you, you wouldn't have been around to save any of those people in the first place?"

Ohno hesitates, then mumbles, "Well, yeah."

Aiba can't help it. He starts to cry.

It's a little funny, he thinks, how poorly equipped Ohno is to handle this situation. If he had Nino's super empathy, he would know that for Aiba, crying just means he's overwhelmed with emotion, not necessarily sadness. And if he had Jun's super observational skills, he would notice that Aiba's tears are happy ones, falling unbidden over a thankful smile. And if he had Sho's super attention span, he would have no problem processing all of that information at once.

But Ohno doesn't have any of those, and all he can do is stand there looking small and lost, as lost as Aiba has felt this whole time. The irony of it makes Aiba laugh, although with the tears, it comes out more like a sob. Ohno flinches back from the sound, but Aiba won't let him get away this time; he leaps forward to envelop Ohno in a fierce hug, fully prepared to hold on if Ohno tries to squirm out of it but relieved that he doesn't.

Ohno asks, voice muffled against Aiba's shoulder, "You're... happy about this?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Usually when people find out..."

He buries his face in Ohno's hair and cries some more, laughs some more, and when Ohno makes a sound of distress, he pulls back just far enough to kiss him.

When they part a moment later, Ohno's face is flushed and there are tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "Aiba-chan, I don't understand."

"That's okay," Aiba says, brushing away Ohno's tears and his own. "That's what destiny means. You don't have to understand it -- it just happens!"

*

Later, Aiba and Ohno will leave this spot, moving on to any of the countless other places they could go. They could stop to eat somewhere, or catch a movie, or just take a walk. Eventually they'll head to Ohno's apartment, or to Aiba's, and at some point Aiba will have to formally introduce Ohno to Nino, to Jun and Sho. His friends will all love Ohno, he's sure of it, because as far as he can tell, it's impossible not to. Probably they'll have sex again, and not just because Aiba thinks the universe has willed it to be so. 

But for now, they stay where they are. They trust that if they're meant to go some other place, they'll make it there eventually. They bask in the moment; they take their time. There's no need to do anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> I did some DVD-style commentary for this fic [here](http://kinoface.dreamwidth.org/36217.html?thread=136313#cmt136313) and [here](http://que-decir.tumblr.com/post/48251535867/commentary-meme). :D


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